Post Cards from North America: Sweet Ohio Ending

Considering I was in Ohio for just over twenty-four hours, I managed to consume a record amount of sugar.  Tim Tam Slams, Coconut Cream Pie from Amish Country, my mom's famous Blueberry Buckle, Sweet Frog Frozen Yogurt . . . It was a very busy day and a half indeed.  Perhaps subconciously we were trying to counteract the pain of saying good-bye.  Whatever the reason, we enjoyed the fun, and the sugar, while it lasted.

Don't miss my niece's pretty finger nails, nor her total absorption in savoring her treat.

Tim Tam consumed, she moved on to blowing bubbles.  Impressive for a one-year-old I think, and too sweet for words.

Her big sister and cousin were close by.  They are pretty cute too, but she stole the show.

Following a tradition that began last year, we drove down through Amish country that evening to a favorite restaurant of my parents, Der Dutchman.  Gillian has been talking about their coconut cream pie ever since her first mouthful last August.

We didn't take a buggy ride, but to the delight of all, we encountered many of them on the road. Sophie proclaimed this brief visit to Amish country one of her favorite parts of our entire trip.  She was joined by a friend who had driven with her mom all the way from Pittsburgh so the two girls could spend some time together.

The drive home on this beautiful summer evening was one to treasure.

I have no pictures of the blueberry buckle served with fresh fruit and eggs for breakfast the next morning.  It was devoured before I could find my camera.  My mom has been making it every summer for as long as I can remember, and it is now a favorite of my children.

(In case you are wondering, I found this description of blueberry buckle online: a buckle is an old-fashioned, single-layer cake with a streusel-type topping. The batter is quite dense. As the cake bakes, the batter sinks to the bottom of the pan, which makes the streusel buckle on top.)

Two painful hours of packing followed the delicious breakfast, and after a quick lunch of corn on the cob, we headed to a frozen yogurt shop that has taken the city of Stow, Ohio by storm.  Opened by my brother and sister--in-law along with two friends of theirs just a few weeks ago, Sweet Frog has been more popular than they ever could have imagined.  Lines stretch out the door every evening, and after sampling a few of the flavors on offer, I can see why.

First you fill a bowl with whatever combination of flavors sounds good to you, and then you head to the dozens of toppings on offer to round it out.

James chose raspberry pomegranate, chocolate peanut butter, and banana to which he added Reese's pieces, skittles, and mango poppers.  Not what I would have chosen exactly, but he enjoyed it.

I found the raspberry pomegranate and original tart mixed with pieces of fresh fruit to the be perfect thing for a hot summer afternoon.  Saying our good-byes afterward was not nearly so pleasant, but it had to be done.  Within two hours we were unloading a big pile suitcases at the Cleveland airport where the check-in went more smoothly than I can ever remember.  

That nearly made up for the three hour delay on the tarmac much later that night, from 1am to 4am to be precise, during which time we waited and waited for our dinner to be served and then gave up and one by one fell into restless slumber.  The friendly and helpful flight attendants took pity on us, however, when we woke up, and did what they could to keep us from going hungry.  They made several fresh pots of coffee for me, and I believe I consumed a record number of 7 or 8 cups before it was finally time for breakfast.  Breakfast, by the way, was not served until about nine hours after James and I woke up, but he behaved very well, earning several compliments from the hard-working attendants who were also of course inconvenienced by the delay.  I thought, but didn't tell them, "If only you could have seen him when we landed in Pittsburgh, you might not be speaking so kindly about him."

It was on the next flight, the final leg of our journey, from Sydney to Melbourne, when we had been traveling for over thirty hours, that he managed to knock over a full glass of orange juice on top of my open handbag, which contained, unfortunately, the passports, my laptop, and my phone among many other things.  The sound on the phone is now very inconsistent, but that seems to be the worst of the damage.  I suppose incidents such as these are to be expected when flying to the other side of the world with a five-year-old.  Overall the trip went smoothly, and I will close with my usual expression of gratitude for both our protection while traveling and for this opportunity to spend time with those we love.

 

Comments

[Amy Smith]

People are crazy about the Sweet Frog shops here in Richmond. Evan and I stopped by one just yesterday after his haircut. So glad you had such a wonderful trip stateside!

[Christie]

Thanks, Amy, and thanks again for making the trek to Pittsburgh to visit us!

[Shanda]

Great post...your niece is indeed beautiful and has her Aunt Christie's brown eyes. The pie looks delicious and the "sweet frog" frozen yogurt place is so fun! Congrats to the success your brother is experiencing!
Sorry about the juice in your bag.
Glad you had a wonderful trip seeing your loved ones.

[whits end mom]

I will have to google Sweet Frog and see if there are any nearby.